Ferdinand Porsche, 911 creator, dead at 76

What irony. On the day Porsche’s 911 wins an award for world’s best performance car at the NY Auto Show, its original creator — Ferdinand Alexander Porsche — dies. He was 76.

The grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, the man who founded the Stuttgart-based sports car maker and developed the Volkswagen Beetle under a contract with the Nazis in the 1930s, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche invented the 911 model in 1963. My stepfather bought one of the first convertibles for my mom. It was red and slightly awkward, but feral and free nonetheless. And, even though I was too small to know the difference from a piece of crap to a piece of art, that first Porsche may have been the defining moment between becoming a car guy and the architect I dreamed I would be.

Regardless, the 911 will forever be an icon. Originally labelled a 901, Porsche’s classic model has since seen seven generations, the latest 991 model a stunning pinnacle of performance.

Ferdinand Alexander Porsche may have quit the company in 1972, (though he stayed on as member of Porsche’s supervisory board) but his car will live forever, out on the roads and in the hearts and dreams of enthusiasts around the world.